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I almost pooped my pants the first time a Stripe notification went off on my phone. Seriously. It was that life-changing. I was in the car with my family. Hundreds of miles away from my desk back in Texas (where we lived at the time). And I made my first online sale. I wasn’t even working, we were visiting family back home for Christmas, and $500 came through just like that.

Again. Life-changing. Now, I’m not going to sugar-coat this and tell you a lot of work didn’t go into creating that moment, because it did. And honestly, that sale was just the beginning – when I got home from that trip I had to get to work actually recording the course I’d just sold (because despite what many online gurus want you to believe, courses aren’t passive income). There were a lot of late nights for the next few months. But once it was done, it was DONE. I went on to sell over $3M (that’s MILLION) of that exact course. I got stripe notifications in my sleep. I earned money while on vacation. I made sales while hanging out at the park with my kids. How much would your life change if your income wasn’t so closely tied to your work as a freelancer? There’s only one way to do this: you have to separate YOU from the RESULTS you get for people. That’s the difference between being self-employed and being a business owner. That is the next-level freedom that comes with building something you can sell over, and over, and over again without burning out on fulfillment. That is how to increase your revenue (by a lot) without exhausting your resources (time, energy, etc.) And here’s the other secret most gurus don’t want you to know: THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO DO THIS.

Trends and tactics come and go.

Last year it was the Live Launch. Now its Challenges. When I started it was all about Webinars and Reels didn’t even exist yet.

They ALL work.

None are better, none are bad, none last forever.

It’s about figuring out what works best for you.

These are the concepts we teach inside of the Freedom Founder Society to make sure you’re scaling a business that you actually enjoy. (Plus, all of the different trends and tactics to get you there.)

This is a brand-new program for ambitious, freedom-motivated, self-starters who already have an established freelancing business and want to scale smartly.

Tomorrow, I’ll break down a little more about the program itself, but today I want to give you an exclusive opportunity to come hang out with me, our coaches, some impactful presenters, and our Freedom Founders…

For FREE!

On June 8-9 we’re having a 2-day virtual event and if you feel like this could be your next step, we want to give you the chance to attend.

Consider this a totally free, insanely high-value “sneak peek”.

Because the content is more advanced, we want to make sure it’s actually helping you, not overwhelming you.

You’re a good fit if you’ve:

• Got the basics of business down! You’re freelancing and know how to get 1:1 clients.
• Found your niche! You know your strengths and weaknesses, and you see the potential in your market to help more people.
• Already conceptualized a course! Maybe you’ve even tried to sell it alone and it didn’t work out.
• Maxed out on time! You’ve considered outsourcing but the idea of a team feels scary.
• Committed to success! Failure doesn’t scare you anymore. It’s part of the game, and nothing will stop you from moving forward.
• Collaborated! You love giving value to your peers.
• Decided to go all in! You’re ready to be the face of your business and lead a community.

If this is you, apply here to see if you’re qualified to join us June 8 and 9.

You’ll hear back from us either way.

And be sure to check out tomorrow’s email. I’m telling you more about the program, but also 3 steps to help you get ready if you’re not quite there yet.

Where are you on your Free Mama journey? Maybe you’re still an employee, on your way to becoming self-employed. (The Free Mama Movement is perfect for showing you how to do that.) Or maybe you’re currently self-employed. (This email is for you.) You’ve already got the clients. You’ve niched down. You’ve raised the rates. You’ve gotten really, really good at what you do. You’ve got the freelancing thing more or less figured out. But there’s still a problem… You’re ready to go bigger.

I can pinpoint exactly when this happened in my own freelancing journey, and I can often see the shift in my students, too. Sometimes it’s when you get frustrated having to tell new leads that you’re too busy to work with them, losing out on additional revenue. For me, I was maxed out on work time within my lifestyle boundaries but wanted to make more money for my family. You’ve probably heard the saying, “what got you here won’t get you there” and when it comes to scaling a virtual business, that is incredibly true. Because you can only earn so much as a freelancer. When you’re a 1:1 service provider, your earning potential is directly proportional to two things: your rate and your time. But, what if there is a way to remove both of those things from the equation? What if there is a way to take your experience and expertise and help even more people, not say no leads, work less, and make substantially more money? It’s more than possible! Seriously, this month my business made about $40k while I was on a mountain without wifi access, because I built it in a way to support my life, not run it. I’m not telling you this to brag. I’m telling you this, because I’ve made this transition from 1:1 to 1:many myself, and I know exactly what it requires to get there. I also know how to help you get there, if this is what you want, too. It’s time to think differently about your business. And you need something (and someone) to help you get there too. I have an event coming up that will give you even more practical, juicy goodness about scaling a freedom-based business. The event is not for everyone. You have to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run. Check out tomorrow’s post to learn more.

Your Niche. Nitch? Neesh? Nietzche? However it’s pronounced, it doesn’t matter. You’ve probably come into this virtual business world and heard a million times that you need one. And it’s true, you do. But chances are, you’re going about it the wrong way. And it’s (negatively) affecting your business. Big time. Want to know why your niche isn’t working? Tune into this week’s episode to get the full story on what you’re doing wrong and how you can fix it.

P.S. You’re wasting time creating a vision board! Check out last week’s FreeMamaTV and learn the right way to create a vision board as a VA.

And don’t forget to subscribe to Free Mama TV so you’re alerted each and every time a new episode drops!

This week almost broke me. Daphne came home sick Monday and missed her last two days of school. She was devastated not to be able to say goodbye to her friends and teacher before summer break began. And then Tuesday, I learned about the devastating mass shooting at a school in Texas and couldn’t help but feel relief that I didn’t have to send my kids back the next day. We shouldn’t have to live this way. If I’m honest, it’s surprising to me how controversial this issue is. I grew up with a father who hunts, and firearms safely stored inside our home. I’m not here to bash the 2nd Amendment, or intentional offend anyone… except maybe the power-hungry politicians and NRA  But there are opinions (many of them), and then there are facts. If you’ve ever listened to me, you KNOW I love data. So much so, that I can make a case for freelancing over blogging, network marketing, affiliate marketing, and pretty much any other work from home business. (If you want those stats, let me know.) Numbers don’t lie. They aren’t emotional, influenced by politicians or parents or the media. Here are some stats about gun violence that you may not know (which should outrage you, regardless of your stance on guns): Every day, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. Access to a gun triples the risk of death by suicide. Access to a gun doubles the risk of death by homicide. Access to a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed. Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens. Read that last one again. So where do we go from here? Yesterday this week I did a Facebook Live talking about how tragedies like this can make me shut down. I go numb so that I don’t get so overly emotional and wallow in helplessness. But the truth is – none of us are helpless. We all have the ability to do something. Even if you only have one hour. Or one dollar. Or one conversation. It matters. Here are the things I’ve done this week. Hopefully these resources make taking action a little bit easier for you. Check out this resource for tips on how to talk to your children about violence, shared by fellow Free Mama and educator Katie Mack. Listen to this podcast with Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts. Easily contact your representatives and demand change through Everytown.org. And if you want to join Amy and I for the Summer SurTHRIVAL Plan Workshop on June 10 at noon CT, 15% of your registration is going to be donated to Moms Demand Action. Moms Demand Action works to close loopholes in gun law and create a culture of responsible gun ownership. Plus, I’m personally going to match all donations made through this event. I also hope that we don’t go “back to normal”. I’m tired of it. I’m exhausted of the sensational posts on social media for a week after a tragedy. Then it’s business as usual. Whether it’s racism. Violence. Homophobia. This isn’t normal. We must create a new normal. Let’s love each other and keep our babies safe, Mama.

Picture this: It’s girls’ night. You and your friends decide to make vision boards to help you manifest your future life. So there you are, sipping your wine or tea, cutting out pictures of huts in Fiji, sandy beaches, shiplap walls, that new designer handbag, and a luxury SUV. I am here to tell you, this is not helping you. Watch this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV to learn what you should actually be doing instead to get you to that dream life.

P.S. You’re showing up online the wrong way! Check out last week’s FreeMamaTV and learn the right way to show up!

And don’t forget to subscribe to Free Mama TV so you’re alerted each and every time a new episode drops!

You’ve probably heard that in order to market your virtual business online you need to “post consistently”. So you get to work! You download the templates and planning calendars, you batch your reels and Facebook group posts and before you know it you’re working 5+ hours a week…. without any clients. That can be super frustrating to the new freelancer who is publishing content online day in and day out, but hasn’t landed a single client yet. Showing up online can be important, but what a lot of gurus fail to mention is that “posting consistently” is only a very small piece of the puzzle. There’s something much more effective to grow your business than being a content creator (unless of course this is what your clients are paying you to do) and that’s exactly what I’m talking about in this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV. Feeling lost in the social mediasphere? This episode is for you!

P.S. You’ll get clients by being yourself! Check out last week’s FreeMamaTV and hear all about it!

And don’t forget to subscribe to Free Mama TV so you’re alerted each and every time a new episode drops!

Hi, it’s me! (The birthday girl ) But this isn’t about me. It’s about you. There are a handful of dates each year when I do something special for Free Mamas. Our community anniversary (September 27) Book Launch anniversary (December 13) And my favorite, Mother’s Day/Birthday Bash (TODAY!!) Every year I think about you, Mama. I think about how you might be feeling right now. That’s been especially interesting these last two years. I observe your questions in the Facebook Group. I listen to my students inside the Free Mama Squad. I pay attention to my content getting a lot of engagement. And then I reflect on what I can bring to the table that is FUN (my word for the year) and HELPFUL that will make your Free Mama journey just a little bit easier. We have a lot of women who want to start their virtual business, and you’ve been asking for resources to be a little bit more accessible. We also have freelancing mamas ready to launch a course of their own, but aren’t sure where to begin – or worse, are doing the opposite of what I would teach and are getting burned! Whichever group you belong to, I’m bring YOU an AMAZING deal today: 2 Courses for just $500! I want to make sure you know how valuable this opportunity is, and everything you’ll get loaded into your account when you enroll! The Free Mama Movement includes: 8 Step-by-Step Modules following the Freedom Framework Bonus: Physical copy of the Freelance to Freedom Workbook Bonus: The Quick Start Freelancing Track Bonus: The Prospect to Paid Training Bonus: Need-to-Know Software Lab Bonus: The Tax Tracker Bonus: The $10,000 Perfect Proposal Template The Movement Maker Accelerator includes: 5 Phases of Building an Automated Income Machine Bonus: Movement Planning Guide & Goals Tracker Bonus: Million Dollar Webinar & Email Templates Bonus: Coaching Client Acquisition Resources & Templates Bonus: Million Dollar Share Funnels & Tutorials Bonus: Team Onboarding Resources & Application Templates Bonus: Behind the Scenes Exclusive Facebook Ads Training Any one of these assets could cost you hundreds alone. I am excited to be bringing you all of this value today for one $500 investment. But just like my birthday, this sale can’t last forever. Act now before this sale ends at MIDNIGHT Cheers to YOU today!

Tomorrow is my birthday. Good ole’  THREE-SIX. On Mother’s Day 1986, little Lauren burst into the world ready to take it by storm. And then just a few ( ) years later I started The Free Mama. After years of feeling like a failure at home and work, I took a stand to never choose between showing up for my kids as the mom I wanted to be and providing for my family financially. It all started with a course (The Free Mama Movement) where I teach moms how to start a virtual freelancing business leveraging your strengths and interests and making real money from home as quickly as possible. And then a couple of years later I created another course (The Movement Maker Accelerator) to help you turn that thriving freelancing business into a product so it can scale into an income-producing, impact-making machine that shatters your own glass ceiling. And just this year I launched a new high ticket program called the Freedom Founder Society. What you maybe don’t know, is that over the years I’ve also launched quite a few things that didn’t work out so great. I’ve pulled courses. Closed programs. Canceled my podcast. One time I did a very big, very unsuccessful launch that only got one qualified applicant. (It all worked out and she is crushing it today.) I also failed miserably at launching Free Mama swag drops a few years ago. Over the last 5 years, I’ve had thousands of women enroll in my courses, worked with hundreds of Free Mamas online, and met so many of you in real life. I am so grateful for the success I’ve experienced in my business and the beautiful community we share as Free Mamas. But the truth is, it’s all of my missteps and “failures” that make me qualified to teach you anything at all! Those are the biggest lessons. They are the best teachers if we’re willing to pay attention and do better. As long as I’m willing to fail, I’m able to keep succeeding! Every year I get older, and hopefully wiser. And every year I package everything I’ve learned from testing and failing and testing again and ultimately finding success into something that will help you reach your goals even faster. For my birthday this year, I am giving my first 2 courses to you for an unbeatable price. 2 courses for $500. A $4,500 discount. That’s 89% off! GET THE BIRTHDAY BASH OFFER NOW! I want you to have this knowledge. You will still “fail”. We all do. It’s required for success. But when you apply the knowledge of someone who has already done it, you’ll move faster and fail less. So whether you’re brand new or looking to grow, I’m confident (and our student success rate confirms) that The Free Mama Movement or the Movement Maker Accelerator will help you know what to do next. And if you think you qualify for the Freedom Founder Society, let’s chat. Tomorrow I’ll be another year older, and another year committed to pursuing a totally awesome, guilt-free life – and doing whatever it takes to help you do the same! Take me up on that birthday sale before it expires tomorrow!

Have you ever tried to be someone you’re not? Maybe it’s showing off a bit to try to fit in with a new group of friends. Or perhaps it’s that fake phone voice, the one a few octaves off from your regular voice. Or even trying to impress a client by withholding that special blend of hot mess-ness that actually makes you, you. But have you ever thought about how exhausting it is to pretend to be anyone but yourself? No really, it exerts so much energy that could be much better used actually growing your business (and ya know, living freely). The cool thing is, when you love and accept yourself for your beautiful, wonderful quirks, you’ll actually attract the people you’ll love to surround yourself with and stop caring so much about impressing the ones who don’t accept you. I want you to be your truest, most free self so that you can have your best business, that’s why on this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV I am telling you the 4 ways this self-love translates into cold, hard cash. This is for any of you who ever feel the need to hide parts of yourself. I believe in you.

P.S. Want to start your VA business with no experience? Check out last week’s FreeMamaTV to find out how!

And don’t forget to subscribe to Free Mama TV so you’re alerted each and every time a new episode drops!

Happy Mother’s Day! Are you the mom who wakes up swimming in homemade crafts and lives for that slightly burnt breakfast in bed with snuggles this morning? Or… Are you the mom who cashes in some child-free time and hits the nail salon for a mani-pedi with girlfriends today? Or maybe somewhere in between  Whichever camp you fall into this Mother’s Day,  we hope it’s everything you want to feel appreciated. Because today is for you.

And if no one else remembers to tell you today, you are extraordinary. Raising our babies is the hardest work we will ever do – it almost makes running a business seem easy! As a reminder, this week I’m having a massive sale (the first and possibly last one!) on my top courses to help make your business journey a little easier. Join me tomorrow for the Free the Mamas Birthday Bash Live where I’ll break down all the juicy details! Happy Mother’s Day